The Orlando Magic have made some modest improvements this season, creating some optimism for 2018. But the Magic may not yet be League Pass darlings.
There is a lot of talk these days about how the Orlando Magic will do during the season. The team kept much of the same starting lineup while working to improve their bench more.
The hope, it seems, is for the team to build off the limited success they had to end last season and bolster the bench to make some type of Playoff push. The Playoffs seemed to fall closer to the Magic with the changes that happened throughout the conference.
It is going to be an intriguing season. But the general consensus about the Magic is the team made some modest improvements, but it is still too flawed to invest in fully. Orlando just does not have the tell-tale signs of a team ready to take that next step.
The national television schedule reflects that too. The Magic have only three games on NBATV and none on the cable networks. They will be an anonymous League Pass team again.
There are other concerns besides winning and losses in the course of a season. The team still has to try to fill seats for 41 games and get people to engage with the team on television. The team’s struggles last year accounted for a significant drop in television ratings. But so did the team’s play style.
Orlando played a lot of games where neither team could eclipse 100 points and the Magic struggled at times to hit 90 early in the season. Much of the excitement of a potential Playoff run died off as the team’s offense tailed off. When the defense went with it, the Magic were nearly unwatchable. Not unless you had some allegiance to them or you had to (say, for work or a blog or something).
Did the team improve things this year?
Likely not. There were no changes to the starting lineup and no marquee names added to the team. The Orlando Magic might be a better team than they were last year, but that is no guarantee they will be a team everyone lines up to see or get excited about on League Pass.
Chris Barnewall of CBS Sports ranked the NBA teams by League Pass watchability and listed the Magic 28th on the list. It is hard to argue with him:
"Few teams have been less compelling the past few seasons than the Magic. They may have exciting youngsters like Jonathan Isaac on the roster, but there is no reason to believe in Orlando right now. They have no 3-point shooting, too many centers, and their style of play is just brutal."
There is no getting around it. The Magic have not quite improved their offense from last year.
The team posted a 101.2 offensive rating last year, 29th in the league. Even after the All-Star Break, the Magic struggled offensively overall. They were 26th in the league with a 102.9 offensive rating. It was still a team without a star, without much shooting and without much to draw people in.
Not to mention, Frank Vogel-coached teams have never been known for their offense. Without the strong defense that became his hallmark, the team struggled. And things got ugly at times.
Even after the All-Star Break, the Magic were not a great offensive team. They played a better up-tempo style and had some better individual performance, but the parts did not improve the whole. Not entirely. The Magic still went 8-16 after the All-Star Break.
Aaron Gordon is one of the few saving graces on the roster. He seems able to provide a highlight dunk at least once per game. And there is still a significant amount of hope he can turn into the player everyone envisioned when he became the fourth overall pick.
But the team’s lack of balance and clear identity — not to mention budding young stars — does not make it a marketable team. Or even necessarily a watchable team.
Next: Inside the Orlando Magic's 2018 schedule
The plain fact remains, if the Magic are going to become a League Pass darling or a Playoff team, they will have to surprise everyone.